Gerald Charles Dickens and the Great Con

It was the notice from Winterthur announcing a reading of A Christmas Carol that brought back the memory, and what a delightful memory. A few years ago, the Biltmore hotel, in downtown Los Angeles, sponsored “A Dickens Dinner”, a sparkling black tie event during the Christmas holidays that included champagne and hors d’oeuvres in the back lobby among full size gingerbread houses and a genuine traditional six course goose dinner, just as would have been served during the time of Dickens, when the haves had and the have nots had naught. We reserved a table for five, prepaid, and set ourselves to an evening of amusements. 

Our party, dressed in our finest formal finery and giddy with anticipation, looked forward to being regaled with a reading of A Christmas Carol by the great grandson of Charles Dickens, Gerald Charles Dickens. Realizing that this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, I purchased a dozen copies of the book for his signature, which I would then hand out as Christmas presents to friends and family. 

We arrived to find the two storey lobby just as advertised, beautifully lit, handsomely decorated with tinseled trees, Christmas lights and garlands, the air faintly scented with gingerbread and tinkling music, while numerous waiters in red vests proffered champagne in elegant flutes. We leisurely strolled around and inside the gingerbread houses, charmed by the lit candies, while striking up cheerful friendships with other attendees. 

We found one couple particularly amusing so we asked them to join our little group of five.  Then likewise discovered a somewhat mysterious but very handsome man, with a mane of silver hair, a charming smile and by all appearances, quite single. We invited him to join our dinner table since we had a single woman in our midst. Arrangements with the maitre d’ were made and we eight sat down to a very entertaining evening. Gerald animatedly brought to life the characters within each chapter, reading between courses of squash soup, seasonal vegetables, a stuffed goose, mashed potatoes, Christmas pudding, pumpkin pie and English cheeses. The wine flowed freely, the laughter grew more raucous and a good time was had. 

Somewhere between the Christmas pudding and the last cheese course our silver stallion received an urgent call, for which he left the table, promising to return shortly. We understood, having been given the impression, during the various courses, that he was in the medical field. Finally, the last course was served and the last chapter read. After “God Bless Us Everyone” we cheered Gerald’s performance and I settled into the autograph line. 

Ah, but then the mystery continued. The maitre d’ arrived at our table, tactfully asking about the missing payment from one of the guests. Vowing ignorance and averring that all five had paid ahead of time, as did the couple who joined us, we then, as one, looked at the empty chair where previously sat our silver stallion, and, with equal amounts of horror and glee, realized that there was a louche scammer in our midst. The maitre d’ was not amused. 

During the drive home, we tittered with delight at being involved, albeit unknowingly, with a con man. His ease at pulling off the scam, was thrilling and entertaining. And yes we understood that what he did was wrong wrong wrong and ought not to be emulated or condoned in any fashion, but it was like a Christmas Dickens movie.